Pale Blue Dot for solo horn and fixed media (2022) by Gina Gillie

Demo recording of Pale Blue Dot (2022)
Gina Gillie, composer, performer, and video producer

Program Notes

"Pale Blue Dot for horn and fixed media" is inspired by the 1991 photograph taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft at the request of Carl Sagan, as well as Sagan’s prose reflecting on said image. In the image, Earth appears as a single pixel – “a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” Sagan’s reflections describe the earth and humans’ relationship to this lovely and lonely planet as well as the planet’s relationship to the great vastness of space.

This composition for horn and fixed media is a journey through space, both sonically and visually. The accompanying video begins with the Pale Blue Dot photo and expands outwards to the great vastness of space. Images from the James Webb telescope remind us that earth is “a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.” A lonely and ethereal motif played by struck water glasses is a sonic representation of the twinkling of stars spread across the heavens. In a journey past the planets, the music utilizes a water glass choir underneath a weaving and reaching horn solo. Once we reach Earth, the music transitions to a jubilant melody that celebrates the beauty of our plant. Beautiful images of landscapes, animals, and nature are accompanied by animal sounds and salutations in different languages from the Voyager’s Golden Records. Together, they represent Earth’s biodiversity.

The second half of the piece reflects on humanity’s impact on our environment. The last Voyager greeting, in English (“Hello from the children of planet Earth”), recorded by Sagan’s own son, is gradually fragmented until a single “Hello?” sounds like a plea. The music turns darker and more rending, accompanied by images of various environmental and climate challenges.

At the end of the work, the camera pulls back from the earth and fades out to the Pale Blue Dot photo. The audience is reminded of our relative cosmic smallness but with the understanding that Earth is all we have. In Sagan’s words, he calls for us to “deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

The work was commissioned by the Seattle Symphony in 2022 for their unique performance space, Octave 9, and received its premiere performance on September 30, 2022. It is the composer’s first electroacoustic composition.